Doan in charge at GSA

By Rob Thormeyer

Jun 01, 2006

Officially at the helm of the General Services Administration since Wednesday, Lurita Alexis Doan has promised swift action to bolster morale amongst the workforce and provide clarity to the agency's mission.

In her first speech as GSA administrator, Doan'fresh from Senate approval of her nomination'said she will work hard to ensure that the agency becomes more accessible to its federal and private customers and improves customer service.

'I've seen firsthand that GSA now spends less time directly with its government customers,' Doan said. 'Frankly, guys, that has to stop. ' And its no secret that GSA has some fence-mending to do with some of its biggest federal clients. I intend to make this a priority and will emphasize the service in the General Services Administration.'

Doan comes to GSA at a critical time, as the agency is in the midst of a major reorganization and recently won approval to offer buyouts and early retirement to about 400 employees in certain divisions that are losing revenue.

In her speech, she said she understands the challenges and will do her best to bring clarity to the agency.

'I have been concerned in recent weeks that GSA employees have not always had clear guidance on what those shared goals are and what is expected of them in order to succeed at achieving those goals,' she said. 'I will commit to you today to provide clear and unequivocal guidance regarding the direction GSA is heading and what my expectations are.'

Doan's speech largely echoed her testimony last week at her nomination hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.